1. Field of the Invention
Generally, the present invention relates to electronic inventory systems. Further, the present invention relates to electronic shelf labels and electronic inventory tags. More specifically, the present invention relates to electronic shelf labels and tags adapted to communicate wirelessly.
2. Description of Related Art
Referring to FIG. 1, retail stores typically display pricing information on paper labels located on shelf edges (shelf labels); FIG. 1 shows an example of a typical printed shelf label. Shelf labels are fitted into C-shaped channels at the edge of product display shelves. Typically, an in-store computer-based printing system downloads “Price Files” from a central location, such as a Retail Chain Headquarters. The information in Price Files is printed on shelf labels and these new shelf labels are manually inserted into the shelf C-channels, usually on a weekly basis. A typical large retail store must update thousands of shelf labels each week.
Referring now to FIG. 2, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, some Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL) 10 have been produced in an effort to automate the shelf labeling process. As shown in FIG. 4, ESLs 10 display basic price information on a segmented liquid crystal display (LCD).
Referring to FIG. 2, ESLs 10 may receive display information by infrared (IR) or radio frequency (RF) communication 12. Current ESLs 10 often use unidirectional communications techniques to transmit data from the in-store computer-based pricing system to the deployed ESLs 10. Some ESLs 10 are capable of bidirectional communication, allowing the deployed ESLs 10 to send information or requests to the in-store computer system 14. Communication between an in-store computer system 14 and the deployed ESLs 10 is facilitated by one or more access points 16. Access points 16 are often located in the ceilings of the store.
Referring to FIG. 3, current ESLs 10 tend to have large and bulky form factors. Form factors are affected by the quantity and type of electronic components required to implement the chosen form of communication. Current ESLs 10 have a large, high-profile form-factor because they incorporate some combination of batteries, electronic devices, large sheet metal RF antennae and bulky mounting attachments. As a result, ESLs 10 extend beyond the confines of the shelf C-channel 18 and hence prone to damage resulting from incidental contact or collision with shoppers, staff, shopping carts, etc.
Referring now to FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the content and format of displayable information is limited in current ESLs 10. Because current ESLs 10 use segmented LCDs to display price and other information 102, display formats are rigidly constrained to alphanumeric, non-graphical data. Segmented LCDs 102 also restrict the placement of displayable characters to predetermined positions on the display surface. These constraints and restrictions result in poor display readability and limited versatility of information displayed. Also, the limitations of LCD content, format and placement necessitate the use of printed labels 104 to augment the ESL 10, as shown in FIG. 4. The printed labels 104 carry store operations information, including stocking numbers, barcodes, and other static information.
Finally, current ESLs have limited functionality, and are generally capable of performing only basic functions. In-store computer systems control all device functionality. For example, devices must be commanded to disable or resume display operations or to otherwise reduce power consumption to conserve battery life. Problems occur if the commands from the central controller are not received or acknowledged by an ESL, or if the ESL is limited to unidirectional communications and is incapable of acknowledging commands and reporting status. Such problems may lead to failure of the electronic shelf labeling system, incorrect pricing or outdated information displays.